How to Be a UX Designer Without Losing Your Soul

Let’s have an honest discussion about the good, the bad, and the ugly of UX. From unsuccessful projects and design processes fails, imposter syndrome, to ideal user experience versus the reality of what happens in jobs. Come chat with Kaitlyn Irvine, Nadia Surtees, and Mai anh Nguyen and get inspired!

Agenda:

1. Fig Jam Ice Breaker - We’ll kick the evening off in a Figma Jam board (https://www.figma.com/file/3c0GuWE3wQgw6N0uZNANPk/Windows-to-the-Future?node-id=0%3A1) where we can add images that revolve around what we want out of our UX and Product Design careers. We’ll have a couple people share their vision boards and describe in one word what they aspire to create in their careers.

2. Moderated Discussion - We’ll have our speakers introduce themselves and then go through the pre-submitted questions (https://forms.gle/XcdDuzUXfE4YWtnL7) and have an open forum discussion. Be sure to submit questions so that we can address what’s top of mind for you!

3. Q&A - We’ll wrap it up with additional questions from the audience.

Our panel members:

• Kaitlyn Irvine, Product Design & Research Lead @ Better Place Forests

Kaitlyn is reimagining the future of End of Life planning at Better Place Forests. She is passionate about UX and behavioral psychology — especially in contexts where technologies can simplify decision-making and enhance human connection.

Prior to Better Place, Kaitlyn focused on interaction design and brand strategy; ranging from building human-centered products and services at IDEO to creating the first design systems at Victoria's Secret and Gillette. She studied Fine Art and Design at the University of Florida.

On any given weekend, you can find her backpacking or skiing somewhere in the Eastern Sierra mountains.

• Nadia Surtees, Design Lead @ IDEO

Nadia is a Design Lead at IDEO who uses prototyping and design research to transform ideas from abstract to tangible. She’s a systems thinker who holds the big picture vision and a human centered designer who puts people's needs first. She’s passionate about social impact and works primarily in circular and education systems design.

Outside of work you’ll find her practicing and teaching yoga and ecstatic dance, whipping up a vegan recipe and working on a latest set of illustrations.

• Mai anh Nguyen, Product Designer @ Viget

Mai anh is a product designer working at Viget, a design and development agency in Boulder, Co where she works on projects that include information architecture, product design, user experience, and user research for organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Natural History Museum in London.

Her past life includes working as an urban agriculture teacher in Chicago high schools, a package designer for a cannabis edibles company, and as a family photographer.

Her passion lies in helping people achieve their dreams and creating products that better the world.

Illustration by Nadia Surtees, sponsored by Snapdocs